Medically known as striae, stretch marks appear whenever there's sudden stretching of the surface of your skin, according to the National Institutes of Health's Medline Plus. This may be due to rapid weight loss or growth. Although the marks will fade with time, you can help to nourish and condition your skin with a topical treatment that may help them disappear faster.
Clarins Stretch Mark Control
Clarins designed its skin cream with various herbal extracts to help fade and reduce the severity of stretch marks, according to skincare expert Paula Begoun, who tested the cream for her skin care review book, "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me." She notes that it's intended for use on stretch marks that are two years old or newer.
Mederma
Dr. Jessica Wu, a dermatologist writing for InStyle magazine, recommends Mederma's stretch mark therapy cream. She says its use of beneficial ingredients such as onion extract can help fade and reduce all forms of scarring, including stretch marks. Additional beneficial ingredients include moisturizing hyaluronic acid and Centella asiatica herbal extract.
ROC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Daily Moisturizer
ROC's daily moisturizer was originally designed to combat wrinkles. However, Allure magazine recommends it for helping to minimize the appearance of stretch marks. This is due to the cream's use of concentrated retinoids, a form of vitamin A that helps to accelerate skin cell turnover and improve healing rates. It also contains moisturizers that help to re-establish your healing skin's moisture barrier, plus skin-protecting antioxidants.
StriVectin-SD
StriVectin-SD, formulated with a proprietary scar-fading complex, comes recommended by InStyle magazine's beauty editors as the best cream for stretch marks. Dr. Jeannette Graf, a New York dermatologist reviewing the cream for the magazine, says its use of peptides improves collagen levels in your skin. This, in turn, helps to improve the appearance of stretch marks.
References
- "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me"; Paula Begoun; 2009
- National Institutes of Health's MedlinePlus: Striae
- InStyle Magazine: Mederma
- InStyle Magazine: StriVectin-SD
- Allure Magazine: Guide to Looking Better Naked
